Piano-player.



E. T. TURNEY.

PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION man FEB. 22. 1912.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- E. T. TURNEY;

PIANO PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8, 1912.

' Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

flea/aw 7% am E. T. TURNEY.

' PIANO PLAYER.

-' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8,1912.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

INVENTOH @W J7 MID M 1 firromvn UNITED STATES PATENToFFro EUGENE T..TURNEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro AMERICAN PLAYER ACTION COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N.T Y., A conroRaTIoN or NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, E GENE T. TURNEY, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of, the city, county, and State of New York," have invented new and useful Improvements in Piano-Players, described 'inthe following specification. I

In most of thepiano players in use it is customary to control the tempo by means of a hand operated lever by which the operator can retard or accelerate the action or can stop it in order to secure a rest of any desired duration. This, however, makes the phrasing of the music dependent upon the skill of theoperator.

This invention aims to provide certain improvements, in mechanism for automatically or mechanically controlling the tempo, that is the rate of succession of 'the notes in player-pianos and similarinstruments; and

especially to provide for automatically causing a full stop and again starting the music when such a restis desirable forsecuring proper expression or phrasing.

' The accompanying drawings illustrate an apparatus embodying the invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmental elevation of a portion of a piano playerequipped with a tempo-controller and a stopping and starting mechanism. Fig. 2 is a fragmental elevation of the tracker-board of Flg. 1. Flg. 3 is a plan, partly in section, of the controller and a portion of the restarting mechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical section approximately on the line 14 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of a pneumatic used in connection with the restarting mechanism. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same, on a plane parall l with Fig. 5. Fig. 7 isa section on the'line 7' of Fig; 3. Fig.

8 is a fragment of thelgside of the, muslc sheet. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the principal parts of a player in which my 1mprovements are incorporated.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, spools 1 and 2 carry the opposite ends of a perforated music sheet 3. Between the spools is a tracker-board 4 having openingsin its face over which the music sheet passes. The perforations 1n the music sheet by opening and closing the several perforations in the tracker-board communicate in any usual or suitable WLy W1th mechanism for operating the keys or the action of Specification of Letters Patent.

PIANO-PLAYER.

the piano or other instrument, and causing such instrument to play the desired music.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916. I Application filed February 8, 1912. Serial No. 676,254.

cent compartment 9 through a port 10.

From the compartment '9 a tube 11 leads to any suitable mechanism for exhausting theair. A valve 12 controls the opening through the port 10 and has a stem 13. An expansion spring 14 iholds the valve 12v normally off its seat. 'The stem 13 extends through the compartment 9 and outside of the same adjacent to; a bellows 15 which has;

an arm 16 secured to'its movable member, the arm 16 being in line with the projecting end of the valve stem. A passageway 17 is provided between the compartment 9 and the bellows 15 and a plate 18 covers said passage and is provided with a smallbleed hole through which communication is maintained while the passage of air is retarded owing to the small size of the hole.

When air is withdrawn from the compartment 9 a suction is exerted on the bellows 15-through-the bleed hole in the plate 18.

This causes the collapsing of the bellows which, through the arm 16 depresses the valve 12. By admitting varying quantities of .air to the bellows 15 the movement thereof provided, preferably at one end of the line of perforations, with an ppening 19 of triangular shape which communicates through .the tube 20 (and passages hereinafter described) with the bellows 15. In the portion of the music sheet which passes over the opening 19 is an undulating'line of pernnder the suction referred to is controlled and to the tube 20 as they pass over a broader or narrower portion of the opening 19 in the forations 21'which admitv more or less air tracker-board, as shown by dotted lines in casing 22 andthence a tube 2O communi cates with a passage 20 through the fixed member of the bellows 15.

If, however, air is not admitted to the bellows 15 before the latter has caused the seating of the valve 12, then the closing of the port 10 byv the valve will prevent further suction upon the motor and the motor will stop, notwithstanding the continued application .of the motive power or suction in the tube 11; there being no further advance of the music sheet, no further air will be admitted to the tube 20 and unless special provision is made for admitting air to the bellows 15 after the motor has stopped the motor will remain idle. Restarting mechanism is, therefore, provided whereby air is admitted to the bellows after the stopping of the motor, as follows. the casing 22 communicates with a chamber 23 adjacent thereto and adapted to open directly into the atmosphere or to be closed by a hingedcover 23. The cover is normally closed by a spring 24 hearing on'the top of it. The free end of the cover extends beyond the side of, the casing 22 and into the path of an arm 27 on the movable member of another bellows 25 in which is a spring 26 for distending it. When the bellows 25 is expanded therefore the cover 23 is lifted and airis admitted freely through the casing 22 and th tube 20 to the bellows 15 whose expansion causes the movement of the motor.

the restarting bellows 25 is a passage 28 Through the fixed member of leading into a chamber in a casing 27 which is connected with a re-starting supply of air and which also communicates through a tube 30 with a chamber in a casing 31 opening through a port 32 into a tube 33 which leads to a vacuum chest-33 communicating by a tube 47 'with' the usual mechanism for maintaining a vacuum. A Valve 34 controls the port 32 and carries a stem 35 which passes through to the outside of the easing 31.

The casing 31 is mounted on the outside of a pneumatic comprising a vacuum chamber 36(Fig. 6) and a diaphragm chamber 38 separated from the vacuum chamber 36 by a diaphragm 37. The chambers 36 and 38 are in communication throu h a small bleed hole 39. The diaphragm 3 bears against The passage in the inner end of a valve stem 40 carrying .valves 41 and 42 which control respectively opening 50 in the tracker-board, preferably at the end opposite the opening 19, so that it comes under the opposite margin of the music sheet and this margin of the music sheet is provided with one or more releasing perforations 51 adapted to register with the opening 50 and located at points where the line of perforations 21 is discontinued or runs off the opening 19.

Now when the sheet is advanced to such a position as to close the opening 19 it simultaneously opens the opening 50 and admits air through the tube 49 into the diaphragm chamber 38 which causes a lifting of the diaphragm 37 and the valves so as to bring the bellows 45 into communication with the vacuum chamber 36, thus closing the bellows and closing the valve 34 so as to prevent any suction through the tube 30. The suction which normally'holds the restarting bellows 25 inoperative is thus cut off when the port 50 in the tracker-board is open. Air is thereupon admitted (by 'means hereinafter described) into the chamber 27 and through the passage 28 into the restarting bellows 25. The spring 26 will gradually expand the restarting bellows causing the lifting of the cover 23 and the admission of air directly from the atmosphere to the chamber 23 and through the tubing 20 into the main bellows 15 allowing the latter t expand. This in turn will open the port 10 and allow the vacuum chamber 9 to exert a suction through the chamber 8 and tubing 7 upon the motor 6 so as to start the latter. The controlling perforations upon thenote sheet will then come into play and simultaneously'the advance of the sheet will close the restarting opening 50. Air being. then cut ofl" from the tubing 49 and from the diaphragm chamber 38 the balance will soon be restored through the bleed hole 39, be-. tween the vacuum chamber 36 and-the diaphragm chamber 38, and the valves 41 and 42 will be lowerd. "Atmospheric communication will then be established with the bellows 45 and the latter will expand and withdraw the valve 34 so as to open the port 32f The suction through the tube 33 will then be communicated through the tubing 30 and chamber 27*" to the restarting bellows 25, so as to collapse the latter and to allow the cover 23* to'close. The regular controlling communication between the I tubes 20 and 20 will thus be reestablished,

whereby the undulating perforations ofthe note sheet will vary the quantity of air admitted to the controlling bellows 15, and the speed of themotor will be controlled as desired. I

s For admittin air to the restarting bellows 25 a bleefhole 29 (Fig. 7) may be made into the chamber 27*. This will insure a restarting operation in a definite time. 'Preferably, however, means are provided for admitting air to the ehamber 27'" .to restart the operation after a tlme whose length is controllable automatically by the music sheet. This controllable admission of air may be used in connection'with the bleed hole 2-9 or may be used without the latter. For the purpose of admitting. the

restarting air at a variable rate a tube 52 communicates with the chamber 27 and with a restarting opening 53 in the tracker board. The music sheet 3 is provided with a line of perforations 54 which register with the aperture 53 in the tracker board, these holes 54 being larger or smaller so as to admit air more or less rapidly to'thecham- "ber 27 to restart the motor. The restarting perforations 54; (whereby air is admitted to bellows 25 and, through the expansion of this bellows and the lifting'of the valve 23, to the bellows 1'5to cause the opening of the valve 12 and the restarting'of-the motor) should register with the releasing perforations 51 in the sheet (whereby air admitted to the diaphragm chamber 38,-l ig. 6, causes the closing of thebellows 45 and the closing of the W11) 34, Fig. 5, stopping the suction on the tube 30 and thus releasing the bellows v15.) When a stop occurs in the music,

therefore, the apertures 50 and 53 in the tracker board are both opened. The suction which normally closes the restarting bellows 25 is cut off and simultaneously atmospheric air is admitted through the restarting -perforations 54 (or through these and the bleed hole 29) at a rate determined by the size of the perforation 54; and the music will commence again after the desired interval of rest.

Fig. 9 shows the self-contained means for controlling the tempo as described, the whole being in placein a piano player of known construction. On the same levelwith the spool box are carried the motor 6 and the casings and bellows above described. The

tubes 11 and 47 lead downward to the wind chest or suction chamber 55 which is arranged in the form of three longitudinal chests communicating withv each other at their ends. Thesechests are in communication through a large pipe 56 with a regulator 57 in which suction is maintained by means of bellows 58, 58 operated by pedals 59. Details of the mechanism are omitted; not being pertinent to the present invention,

the novelty of which; is in the tempo-controlling mechanism, as described.

In various prior patents for the synchro nizing of two musical and other instruments it has been proposed to regulate the speed of one instrument from the other. In the present invention the instrument to be regulated is self-contained; that is the regulation is without reference to the speed or the stopping and starting of any other instrument.

Though I have described with great particularity of detail a specific embodiment of my invention, yet it is not to be understood therefrom that the invention is restricted to the particular embodiment described. Vari- 2. A piano player in which the playing is 7 controlled by the passage of a perforated music sheet, in combination with means controlled by said sheet for'stopping its own movement and for continuing said movement from the point at which it'stopped and in the samedirection inwhich it was previously moving.

3. A piano player including in combination, a single note sheet, a motor for moving said note sheet and means controlled by said single note sheet for automatically starting its said motor.

4. A piano player including in combina tion, a single note sheet, a pneumatic motor for mo'vlng sald note sheet, means controlled by said single note sheet for automatically closing an air passage to stop its said motor and for. reopening said passage.

5. A piano player including in combination a note sheet, a motor, a bellows which I controls the speed of said motor, means controlled by said note sheet for cutting off air from said bellows to cause the stoppage of the motor and means for admitting air to said bellows to cause the restarting ot the ,motor.

6. A piano player including in combination a motor, a main bellows which controls the speed of said motor, means for cutting off air from said bellows to cause the stoppage of the motor, and a restarting bellows adapted to cause the admission of air to said main bellows.

7. A piano layer including in combination, means or advancing a note sheet, means for stopping the advance of said sheet & me -e40 at a predetermined point and means for at Which it stopped and in the same direcautomatically contmumg the same forward tion 1n which it was previously movmg.

sheet, in combination with means controlled by said sheet for stopping'its own movement Witnesses:

and for continuing such movement after a D. ANTHONY UsINA, i0 controllable interval of time from the point LULU STUBENVOLL.

from the point at which it stopped after a In Witness whereoLI have hereunto signed controllable interval of time. my name in the presence of two subscribing 5 8. A piano player in which the playing is Witnesses,

controlled by the passage of a perforated EUGENE T. TURNEY 

